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Traumatic Emergencies. Lesson 6. In this lesson, the focus will first be on the following: Common mechanisms of injury in children Patterns of injury that result from these mechanisms Assessment techniques that help EMTs determine the severity of traumatic injury
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Traumatic Emergencies Lesson 6
In this lesson, the focus will first be on the following: • Common mechanisms of injury in children • Patterns of injury that result from these mechanisms • Assessment techniques that help EMTs determine the severity of traumatic injury • Appropriate interventions for traumatic injuries in children
Also included in this lesson are sections on • child abuse • burns • near-drowning
Mechanisms and Patterns of Injury in Children In children, most serious injuries involve blunt trauma to the head. • Head injuries are likely to result in problems affecting the airway and breathing due to loss of or decreased consciousness.
Blunt vs. Penetrating Trauma • Blunt injury accounts for about 85% of all trauma. • Penetrating injury occurs in only about 10% of all trauma. • In blunt trauma, external signs may be few and the RFI may be non-urgent despite the presence of serious injuries.
High-Risk Mechanisms of Injury • Motor vehicle crashes • unrestrained passenger • pedestrian • Moderate (5-15 ft) and high falls (15 ft+) • Diving injuries • Bicycle crashes while not wearing a helmet.
Lower-Risk Mechanisms of Injury • Motor vehicle crashes • properly restrained passenger • Low falls (age dependent 2-4 feet) • Bicycle crashes while wearing a helmet.
Immediate Concerns -Urgent Trauma Patient • Respiratory failure due to airway obstruction by tongue or secretions • Hypoperfusion from severe internal injuries to their organs even when there is little external evidence.
Treatment Priorities-Urgent Trauma Patient The most critical interventions in the majority of pediatric trauma patients are: • Airway management • Cervical spine precautions • Supplemental high-concentration oxygen • Assisted ventilation when needed
Cervical Spine Precautions EMTs should perform cervical spine precautions for a pediatric trauma patient if: • The child has a high-risk mechanism for head or neck injury. • The child’s mental status is anything other than alert, or • There is evidence of head or neck injury on examination.
Cervical Spine Precautions • A cervical collar must be applied before moving patient. • Prior to applying collar, hold bi-manual stabilization. • Check the back of the neck for • crepitus (crunchiness) • tenderness • muscle spasm
Rapid First Impression Quickly assess: • Mental status • Muscle tone and body position • Visible breathing movement • Breathing effort • Skin color • Obvious severe injuries
Urgent First Impression-Trauma For a child with obvious, severe injury: • Immediately provide needed interventions such as bleeding control, splinting, etc. • Perform cervical spine precautions. • Begin transport and initial assessment. • This child’s condition is urgent.
Urgent First Impression-Trauma EMTs who arrive to find a child who does not seem alert: • Immediately take spinal precautions • Provide high concentration oxygen • Begin transport and initial assessment • This child’s condition is urgent even though there are no obvious injuries
Urgent First Impression-Trauma For a child with signs of hypoperfusion but no obvious external bleeding: • Presume that child to have additional injuries causing internal bleeding. • Continue to assess and reassess. • Maintain airway and support breathing. • Transport as soon as possible.
Urgent First Impression Trauma • A child showing signs of hypoperfusion, but whose only obvious injury is head trauma can be presumed to have other injuries. • Head trauma alone does not cause hypoperfusion in children, except for very young infants. Even then, it is a rare event.
Non-urgent First Impression-Trauma • Alert • Possibly sitting up • Good muscle tone • Equal movement of the arms and legs • Normal breathing • Good skin color. EMTs must find out whether there was a high-risk mechanism of injury (MOI).
High Risk Mechanism of Injury A well-appearing patient who has experienced a high-risk MOI is treated as potentially unstable due to the likelihood of serious internal injuries. • Begin initial assessment quickly. • Repeat assessment steps frequently. • Be ready if child’s condition worsens.
Low Risk Mechanism of Injury Non-urgent rapid first impression: • Complete the initial assessment. • Obtain a focused history. • Conduct a detailed physical exam on the scene.
Extrication Issues Past teaching: Leave child in safety seat, pad and tape prn, transport. • Drawbacks • Ineffective immobilization • Extended scene time • Compromises EMTs’ ability to assess and manage airway and breathing.
Extrication Issues • Current teaching: Remove from the safety seat because: • easily able to achieve neutral alignment • full, unimpeded ability to assess and manage airway and breathing • more efficient on-scene time
Extrication Issues EMTs need to remove the patient from the car before they can truly assess and manage the airway and breathing.
Initial Assessment-Airway AIRWAY • Maintain cervical spine stabilization. • Assess the airway. • Responsive child • Talking or crying is good evidence that the airway is open.
Unresponsive child • Maintain cervical spine stabilization. • Look, listen, feel for air movement. If there isno air movement • Open the airway using a modified jaw thrust while stabilizing C spine. • Check for foreign bodies and other matter in the mouth and nose, including teeth, secretions, vomit, blood, and fluid.
Remove foreign bodies that can be clearly seen and provide gentle suctioning if necessary. • Give high-concentration oxygen before and after suctioning. • As soon as airway is cleared, recheck for air movement.
Look, listen, and feel for air movement and gently reposition the airway if necessary while maintaining spinal stabilization.
If there is no air movement, begin assisted ventilation and initiate transport.
Interventions During Breathing Assessment • After airway opening, provide assisted ventilation using a bag-valve-mask device with supplemental high-concentration oxygen if there is no air movement. • Use the two-handed E-C Clamp to maintain spinal stabilization.
Interventions During Breathing Assessment • To keep the airway open without moving the neck, lift the jaw into the mask rather than pushing the mask down on the face. • Use the “squeeze . . . release . . . release” technique to approximate proper ventilatory rates.
Initial Assessment-Breathing • Maintain cervical spine stabilization. • Assess: • Respiratory effort • Breath sounds • Breathing rate, pattern, and depth • Chest wall for life threatening injuries • Skin color at the lips and tongue
Interventions During Breathing Assessment Administer high-concentration oxygen to using a non rebreather mask if: • The child shows signs of respiratory distress. • Breathing is normal but the mechanism of injury was significant.
Interventions During Breathing Assessment Assist ventilations with a bag-valve-mask and high-concentration oxygen if the child shows signs of respiratory failure.
Interventions During Breathing Assessment For Open Pneumothorax Any puncture wound to the chest that makes a gurgling sound when the child breathes should be covered with sterile dressings that prevent air from being sucked into the chest through the wound.
Tape the dressings on three sides to prevent air from being trapped under pressure beneath.
Tension Pneumothorax If the child shows signs of respiratory failure and has no breath sounds on one side of the chest, there may be a tension pneumothorax (air trapped under pressure in the chest, compressing one lung).
Tension Pneumothorax To release pressure, a needle must be placed between the ribs and the air pocket. This procedure requires ALS assistance.
Initial Assessment-Circulation • Look for active bleeding and apply sterile compresses using direct pressure over bleeding sites. • Check for the presence of central and peripheral pulses and compare their strength. • Check skin color and temperature as well as capillary refill time.
Circulation Assessment- Trauma Patient • Repeat initial assessment frequently. • Be aware of changes in mental state, skin color, breathing effort and rate. • Compare trunk to extremities • skin color • temperature
Interventions During Circulation Assessment • If there are signs of hypoperfusion: • fast heart rate • poor skin perfusion
Interventions During Circulation Assessment • Maintain Cervical Spine immobilization. • Continue oxygen administration. • Initiate transport. • Elevate the foot end of the spine board. • Preserve body heat.
Initial Assessment -Mental Status AVPU • Alert status already known. • Differentiate between V-P-U • V Child responds to a voice • Child does not have to speak. • Can respond through movement, eye contact,etc.
Initial Assessment -Mental Status AVPU • Pain • Squeeze fingernail if child does not respond to voice. • Unresponsive if child does not respond to either voice or pain.
Interventions in Mental Status Assessment • A or V Status - Provide high concentration oxygen by non-rebreather mask • P or U Status - Provide assisted ventilations with BVM and oxygen reservoir.
Pediatric CUPS Assessment Category Assessment Actions
Assessment Absent: Airway Breathing Circulation Actions Perform rapid initial interventions and transport simultaneously Example: Severe traumatic injury with respiratory arrest or cardiac arrest Critical